Mark’s news digest March 2, 2021

Today’s digest of national and international news by Mark O’Brien. Click on the links to go to the original publisher’s page

The Canberra sex abuse scandal

Cabinet minister rape claim: Sarah Hanson-Young doesn’t rule out naming accused MP in parliament.

Mark’s comment: This is an interesting dilemma for Scomo. If the accused (and it is ‘accused’, not convicted or judged guilty by a court that will never sit due to the woman having taken her own life) is named it is goodbye to his career, right or wrong. Is that fair? Well, it is fair enough for other rapists and child molesters to be named, ruining their reputation, guilty or not. It is fair enough for reality TV to show people being arrested or searched at an airport, or if they are a suspect in a murder or break-in etc.

It does seem that it is the same MP who was featured in a 4 Corners episode late last year over sexual abuse occurring in Canberra that the government tried to shut down. To me, without the context of this alleged rape, the episode was pretty poor, shaming him for a promiscuous youth and not much else. Now it is apparent who the MP is, it makes more sense, even logical that they did not name him, which of course no media outlet is going to be the first to do so, so inviting the MP to sue them.

The other aspect of Scomo not standing the MP down from his cabinet position (it astounds me that this is even a question!) is that all the male cabinet members are now under suspicion as rapists.

‘She was a very credible person,’ says friend of woman who claims minister raped her in 1988

As gut-wrenching scandals shake the government, Scott Morrison fumbles when he should lead by Katharine Murphy

Covid news

Green pass: how are Covid vaccine passports working for Israel?

How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other coronavirus vaccines? 4 questions answered